u/snailzoid

hi all!
i start my msw in a couple weeks to hopefully eventually become a hospital social worker. my background is not medical or social work (i have a bfa in graphic design 🫩) and im a bit nervous about my plans for the future.
im getting my msw and my school offers a gerontology certificate which only requires one extra class + practicum with older adults. my plan is to find my first practicum in a hospice/nursing home and my second in a hospital/medical placement. i’m not too sure if i can swing volunteering with practicum, working full time and class but i wouldn’t be opposed to it. my interests are palliative and end-of-life care, bereavement and grief counseling. my end goal is emergency department social work (but im open to anything!)
is there anything else i can do to make myself a desirable candidate for a hospital social work position?
thank you all! and thank you for what you do! 🖤

hi all! i’m going back to school for my masters but i need to finance a laptop. i was looking at opening a best buy or apple card to do this to get an intro no apr but i dont shop at either of these places often enough to justify opening a card that’ll be closed after i pay it off.
i currently have a 748 credit score and one card, a 10 year old discover it with $14,500 credit limit. obviously this card has like… no rewards so anything is better than what i currently have.
i’m looking for something with a couple months intro no apr and no annual fee. sign up bonus would be a bonus!!
i’ve read about the capital one savor card (though they’re owned by discover now i believe, would it be smart to get 2 cards from the same company?) and the amex blue cash everyday (the online purchase cash back seems great for me). but i’m really open to anything!!
i do not travel a lot so i think something with cash back in grocery/dining/shopping categories would be better for me.
thanks!!!

hi all!
I currently work for as a graphic designer at non profit that qualifies me for PSLF. My loans ($29k undergrad) are deferred currently but I’m planning on making payments soon. I am also going back to grad school for 3-4 years in the fall for a new career (masters in social work, $38k total program). I plan at staying at my current job until I graduate, then hopefully get a job at a local non-profit hospital doing social work.

PSLF confuses me a bit, would I be able to use the 3-4 years at my current job plus 6-7 years with my new career to qualify for the 10 years? Do I need to do any paperwork now? Would it count for both my undergrad loans and masters? Or just my undergrad since I haven’t taken out all the loans for my masters yet?
Thanks!

hi!
i have my ears stretched to a 0g and my second lobes are pierced and healed with a stud. i was thinking about getting my third lobe piercing but i’d like to wear my new ear weights in my 0g holes. they’re definitely ~*special occasion*~ ear weights so id probably only wear them for a night or so. i mostly wear silicone earskins. obviously the weight stretches my ear a bit and im worried that would affect the healing. should i wait a couple months before wearing the weights?
thanks!

Hi! I just accepted my spot for a MSW program this fall.
I’m very very nervous about debt and affording this. I have $29k in federal student loans from my undergrad degree (graphic design). I am going to an online program but the school is based in my area since I figured that would help with practicum
placement. In total, my masters should run me $38k. I should have about $67k in student loans when graduating with my MSW, though I hope to make payments while I’m in school.
Does this seem manageable? I hope to be a medical social worker and salaries seem to be around $75k in my area (Northeast Ohio).
Are there programs/jobs that help with student loans after graduation in this field? Would I qualify for PSLF? I know some jobs pay while you work there but this isn’t an option for me right now, I do have a job in my undergrad field however I’ve been trying to leave for awhile and there’s just no jobs anymore. Thankfully my boss is supportive of me going to school and super flexible. I make $56k and cannot afford a pay cut.
I guess I’m just nervous about messing up since I feel like I did with my first degree since AI killed the field.
Thanks.

hi! i’m looking for a career change. i have my BFA in graphic design. for reference, my current financial situation is: i make $55k, i have $29k in student loans from undergrad, 11k car loan and owe about $4k on a credit card.
i’ve always wanted to be an art therapist so ive started looking into pursuing it. the issue is in my state your masters degree has to specify “art therapy”. there is one school in my state that offers this and is about ~$90k for the program enrolling in fall 2027. i believe with the new grad loan rules, this would force me to take private loans. the program is a dual LPC (licensed professional counselor) and ATR-BC (board certified registered art therapist). i also need to take two pre requisites for this program (so add another $2k + time). this program is in person about 40 minutes away from where i live and i may have to quit my job to handle classes and clinical hours.
while researching, i stumbled on social work programs. i can go to a different school for $38k and receive my LSW (licensed social worker) and enroll fall 2026, so id finished sooner. being under $20,500 a year, i would only have to take federal loans. this program is completely online and clinical hours are held in separate semesters so i could continue working.
LSW is a much more flexible degree and it seems like i can do a lot more than with the LPC, however i cannot practice art therapy without the ATR-BC. it seems some social workers do incorporate art into their practice and call it things like “creative coping”.
i know there are a lot of programs to forgive therapists loans for working in certain places (i want to work in a hospital) but im a bit scared to rely on that with $100k + in loans. the mental health field does not pay well and im going into it because im passionate. i expect to make $75k.
TLDR; should i pursue art therapy for $90k or get a social work degree for $38k?

hi!
i’m looking for a new saddle as mine is extremely painful (10-15 minute rides are resulting in a lot of pain on my right side where my butt cheek meets my labia). i cannot afford a bike fit right now nor can i afford to buy a bunch of $100+ saddles to try out. im a super recreational cyclist, i dont see myself biking more than like an hour anytime soon but i just want to ride without pain!!!
are there any budget saddles that i can test out? or any advice? i’ve tried adjusting my seat but im still having pain :(
thanks!!

Hi!
I’m applying to a MSW program from a non-social work background and I’m struggling a bit with some of the questions asked for the personal statement.

The first one being “Are there any ways in which you would expand your framework or experiences working in the social work profession”. I’ve started to write a bit about being a life long student, cultural humility and being trauma informed.

The second is “How would you use an empowerment approach as a future social worker?”. I’ve researched this a bit, and started writing about how as a social worker, you provide your client the tools and resources and create an environment so that they can feel empowered.

I guess I’m just looking for feedback if my writing is in the right direction since I don’t have a social work background and the questions are a bit confusing to me.

Also, are there any websites or anything I can have someone in the field proof my personal statement for free/cheap? I have friends and family who are going to proof it but I’d love someone who knows the field to look at it. I know MSW Helper does but I can’t really afford the $100+.

Thanks!!

i’m currently a graphic designer. my job is fine, no complaints and great boss but i’m so bored i’m burnt out. my job is remote 4 days a week and i drive in once but it’s a 2 hour drive one way and i really do not want to continue making that commute, it’s hard on me and my car and the gas is getting fucking insane. i’ve been applying to design jobs in my area for almost 3 years but with the advancement of ai, they’ve all dried up. i’ve really tried with design. i networked, made changes to my portfolio; when i go to portfolio reviews i don’t even get feedback anymore, just a “this is great!” and still no interviews. i don’t even enjoy design anymore. i don’t really even enjoy anything marketing related, im so burnt out by my job and the state of the world. i don’t want to sell anyone anything, they don’t need it and they probably can’t afford it right now. i know a lot of designers switch to marketing or sales but that’s not me at all.

i’ve been thinking about what i want to do. i want a more fulfilling career. i looked into getting my masters in art therapy which has always been my dream but tuition was $90k. i already have $30k in loans from undergrad so i do not want to quadruple that.
i’ve been thinking about going back for my masters in social work. i know i wont make a ton of money but that doesn’t matter to me too much. i know i will make more than i do now ($55k). the program seems really flexible and i could keep my current job while managing it. the tuition is $39k which seems doable but im really scared to take on more debt.

i feel like i need to make a change somehow. i’m 27 so im young and i have time. im the type of person to just freeze and not make a decision but i know i need to right now. i guess im just really really fucking scared to be $70k in debt. which i know isn’t horrible for a bachelors and masters, but im a first generation college graduate so any debt is pretty scary.
social work really interests me, i know it isn’t easy
but i also think id feel a lot more fulfilled in my life doing this. i’d like to go the medical route and i live in an area with multiple huge hospitals so i feel pretty confident about getting a decent job.

i guess im just looking for reassurance that this is the right move. has anyone else had a total career shift like this and enjoyed it? i’m so scared of change but i know it’s what i need to do.
thanks!

Hi! I’m looking at getting my first bike as an adult.
I have only rode big box store bikes as a kid so I’d like something not too overwhelming; no drop handle bars, single speed (maybe I could be convinced for a couple of speeds but idk how to shift and that scares me), hybrid (I’d like to commute + trail ride), xs or s frame (my legs are short).
I was looking at the Liv Alight Stagger 4 and it seems to hit everything I want but I was wondering the consensus on this bike is since $710 is definitely the top of my budget.
Any other recommendations $700 and under?
Thanks!!! :)

anyone have swatches to compare these two? also does manchineel tree stain the way highway glow does?
thanks!!

hi! i’m looking somewhere to volunteer on the west side. bonus points if it’s mental health related.
i really like how the food bank has slots you can pick online of when to volunteer but it’s 30-40 minutes away from me so it’s not very feasible for me to consistently volunteer there. is there anything comparable on the west side?
thanks!

Hi!

I’m looking to apply to a couple msw programs but my bachelors degree is in graphic design. I was wondering if anyone has any experience/ideas on how to convey my experience to more align with social work on my resume and on my essay.

I have designed things for non-profits and always keep accessibility in mind when creating. i hope to ass some volunteer experience to my resume asap, i’m just super nervous about applying with no experience.

Thanks!!